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The Crowded Shadows (Moorehawke Trilogy #2)

by Celine Kiernan (Goodreads Author)

3.96 of 5 stars 3.96 · rating details · 751 ratings · 92 reviews

Every tyrant who ever threatened the Kingdom is gathering to Alberon's table, and the forest is alive with spies, wolves, and bandits. Within these crowded shadows, Protector Lady Wynter Moorehawke travels alone and unprotected, determined that she shall find the rebel prince and heal the rift that has come between the King and his legitimate heir. But who is an ally and w...more

Paperback, 512 pages

Published July 1st 2010 by Orbit (first published January 1st 2010)

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Dec 24, 2012 Book Chick City rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Reviewed by Laura for Book Chick City.

'The Crowded Shadows' takes off where 'The Poison Throne' had left us. With Wynter, leaving her dying father behind in the corrupt court to embark on a dangerous and lonely quest. She must travel through the dangerous and bandit infested forest, a solitary, young women as she tries to track down the exiled and believed traitorous Prince Alberon, who was once her dear friend. Her hope in finding him is that she may get to bottom of the darkness that is seepi...more Reviewed by Laura for Book Chick City.

'The Crowded Shadows' takes off where 'The Poison Throne' had left us. With Wynter, leaving her dying father behind in the corrupt court to embark on a dangerous and lonely quest. She must travel through the dangerous and bandit infested forest, a solitary, young women as she tries to track down the exiled and believed traitorous Prince Alberon, who was once her dear friend. Her hope in finding him is that she may get to bottom of the darkness that is seeping through the Kingdom and save her friends.

As I begin this review, I'm not quite sure where to start. This book really wasn't I expected it to be at all. It takes you on a remarkable journey. Wynter is such a brave and eminently likeable heroine. A mixture of strength and diplomacy, yet vulnerable at the same time. In fact all of the characters are magnificently well rounded. My heart was in my mouth as Wynter travelled on her own, terrified that something was going to happen to her and fracture her lovely innocence. So it was with a huge sigh of relief when the book welcomed Razi and his companion Christopher back into the fold.

Travelling through the forest together on their journey to find Alberon, the trio encounter the ruthless and terrifying Loup-Garous. We learn more about Christopher and his time as a slave, a prisoner of this terrifying wolf clan. With nowhere to turn, they end up taking refuge with the Merron.

The plot is quite intrinsically complicated and keeps you guessing at all times. The Merron are an ancient and superstitious tribe. But Wynter and Razi have one thing on their side, Christopher's adoptive father was Merron, and he was raised in their culture and he understands their strange and dark traditions.

You spend a lot of the book feeling as puzzled and confused as Razi and Wynter are. As Christopher tries his best to manoeuvre his friends through the ancient Merron ways without them getting hurt and the Merron getting offended. It soon becomes evident that the Merron are part of the ever growing political web that is surrounding the Kingdom and they cannot afford to alienate them. But their culture is shocking and tests the trio's friendship to its limits. There are scenes in this book that will absolutely make you gasp.

The three main characters continue to be at the heart of the story, governed by their friendship and loyalty to one another. I wasn't sure about the blossoming love story between Christopher and Wynter at the end of the last book, but my feelings changed in this one. Their tenderness for one another was warm, sweet and captivating.

A lot of the initial story development from 'The Poison Throne' was put on hold, we learn nothing of the ominous 'bloody machine' and it looks as though we're going to have to wait for the third and final book to get those much needed answers and to meet Prince Alberon. But while this should have been frustrating, it really wasn't. This book had an important part to play in the overall journey and development of both the characters and the story.

I've seen this trilogy often classed as a young adult novel, but it really doesn't feel like one to me despite the fact that Wynter is only fifteen years old, she comes across as much older. Also this is definitely a part of a trilogy and not a stand alone novel.

VERDICT:

I really enjoyed this book. Celine Kiernan is a very talented writer and she builds her stories cleverly and with obvious passion. The first two books of the trilogy so far have been well crafted together. It's also quite unusual for me to be looking to the end of a trilogy without a clue as to how it's going to end and I can't wait!
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Nov 02, 2011 Lady Jayne *~*The Beach Bandida*~* rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, library-book

Thoughts right after reading (3 Nov 2011):

Wow. I need to gather my thoughts on this. I'm so behind on my reviews! Gah! I'm almost afraid to read the next book but am anxious to know how this all ends for Wynter, Chritopher, Razi and Alberon….

I think I'm in love with Christopher. ^_^ Although, there were parts when I was a little frustrated with him and wish he'd just share with Wynter and Razi about his concerns and what is going on! But then again... Christopher... *clutches heart and sighs*

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Mar 13, 2012 Shaheen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Just like The Poison Throne, this book is heavily driven by its characters and their relationships. While the plot moves slowly and is punctuated with long discussions, readers are kept engaged by the interactions between characters. These discussions also provide insight into the politics and history of the world as well, so I enjoyed them.

The Crowded Shadows also sees romances blossom for the main characters: while it was pretty obvious that Christopher and Wynter have feelings for one anothe...more

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Oct 07, 2011 Ori rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, reviewed

Devoured this in the span of a single day, but it was due more to my impatience to find out what's going on than anything. I'd have preferred to give this book four stars, but Celine Kiernan's infuriating tendency to have her characters withhold vital information from Wynter pushes all patience just a little bit too far. My affection for Christopher, which was at an all-time high from the previous book, has dropped at an alarming rate. Yes, his hesitation to share everything is understandable, b...more

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Jan 30, 2011 TheBookSmugglers rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: best-of-2010

Original Review of trilogy HERE

A few months ago, Thea and I wrote a joint review The Poison Throne, the first book in the Moorehawke Trilogy by Celine Kiernan and posted the review over at Tor.com. I loved it (Thea not so much – which is fine, because this series has ANA written all over it) and vowed to read the other two books ASAP. I didn’t and that was only because I knew that I needed at least a good 10 free hours in order to do so: I had the feeling that once I started reading book 2, I wo...more

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Sep 11, 2010 YA Reads Book Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Abandoning her father in the time of his greatest need, Wynter is alone. Completely and utterly alone in an unknown forest, with unknown enemies all around her, Wynter is trying to find her way to Alberon, the rebellious son and heir to the throne. Needing to dodge all manner of bandits and rebel enemy groups, Wynter almost doesn’t make it. Threatened with rape by a bandit who has tracked her, Wynter uses all her skill to get away, only to be tracked by a different group of rebel outcasts. That...more Abandoning her father in the time of his greatest need, Wynter is alone. Completely and utterly alone in an unknown forest, with unknown enemies all around her, Wynter is trying to find her way to Alberon, the rebellious son and heir to the throne. Needing to dodge all manner of bandits and rebel enemy groups, Wynter almost doesn’t make it. Threatened with rape by a bandit who has tracked her, Wynter uses all her skill to get away, only to be tracked by a different group of rebel outcasts. That is, until she is saved but the most random of luck.

For who should she run into but Razi and Christopher who are on the same mission she is?

For they have deceived the King into believing that they were on their way to separate parts of the country – Christopher to return home and Razi to study medicine. Yet neither of them are where they are meant to be, and Razi’s decoy was discovered beaten beyond recognition. With the whole kingdom believing that he is dead, Razi is free to move around freely for the first time in years.

Razi and Christopher would both like to see Wynter return to the castle – especially once they learn that her father has finally succumbed to his illness and has passed onto the next life. But Wynter won’t have a bar of it, and since she is the only one with the knowledge of the exact location of Alberon camp, Razi and Christopher have no choice but to let her accompany them.

As they once again begin the perilous trek to find Alberon, the growing attraction between Christopher and Wynter is clear to all that see them, even if they seem hesitant to admit it to themselves. And a trip wouldn’t be a true adventure without a few more complications. Camped in their way, and their best chance to find Alberon is the bear-tribe of the Merron people – Christopher’s adopted culture.

When one of noble lady’s take a fancy to Razi, it seems that everything is going to be easy than they expect. That is…if they survive the visit to the Merron people. When the customs and language of the People are so different to anything Razi and Wynter have experienced before, there is only so much that can happen before tempers start to fray and lives hang in the balance.

For every step that Razi, Christopher and Wynter take could be leading them closer to a path that doesn’t leave them alive…

The Crowded Shadows is the second novel in Irish author Celine Kiernan’s Moorehawke Trilogy, and delivers a continuation of the characters, story and settings that I fell in love with in the first novel. The characters once again develop at a completely believable rate that as a reader I could identify with – the trials that Christopher and Wynter go through together and separately and the reactions and behavior that Razi displays at different points of the novel enriched the story to a point that I couldn’t put it down.

As we discover more history behind Razi, Christopher and Wynter, the complexities that Kiernan wove into the first novel, built upon and I suspect continue to develop in the final novel, play out in the actions and personalities of each character – we find out why Razi has a temper, how Christopher lost his fingers and Wynter’s true name.

However, this novel does have a slight filler feel to it, with a lot of character development but not much plot advancement, at times hardly seeming to move. As the only drawback to this brilliant work, The Crowded Shadows was an enchanting read that has me wanting the final book in the series now.(less)

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Aug 21, 2010 Suzanne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 04, 2010 Deangroom rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I found the books use of modified Merron (Irish) language at times confusing. The author often explained which of the three languages were being used to combat that choice. There is a postscript to explain the phrases, but I didn't feel inclined to break off the story to look up the translations.

I found the plot rather muddy though the middle of the story and didn't reall go anywhere it hadn't been before.

The characters so powerfully set up in the first book became rather unsurprising as the au...more

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May 16, 2011 Terra rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-sci-fi

I actually liked this one way better than the first (this is one of those time when I REALLY wish that Goodreads had a larger number of stars--first one would be a 6 and this one would be a 7.5ish, aka not quite 4 stars under the current system. Yeesh Terra, overthink much?). The story kept me on my toes and wanting to keep reading, but I felt less OMG I AM AFEARED while reading it. There was still something of an overdose of Suffering Suffering Suffering going on--people weeping and wailing in...more

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May 29, 2011 Krista (One Love) (Critical) rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People who like really dark fantasy.

Shelves: best-character-s, blood-and-guts, cfmf, fantasy, favorites, funny, heroine-i-wanna-slap, own-ab, read-around, tears, ya, yst

Wynter is not good enough for Christopher. She's likable enough in this book, but pretty terrible in the next one. She's sooo full of herself, as well as being ashamed of Christopher.

I'd like for Wynter to be real so I can beat her up. Really. She needs a good knock to the head. She has NO idea how lucky she is to have a guy like Christopher.

Five stars because I adore Christopher and he was in this book a LOT. Otherwise, there was a bit too much crazy drama/depression. Human sacrifice? Fine. H...more

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Sep 30, 2010 Marisa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

The second book of the Moorehawke trilogy was a very good follow-up to The Poison Throne. Wynter has escaped the tyrany of King Jonathan, leaving her father to a lonely death, in search of rebellious Prince Alberon, the legitimate heir to Jonathan's throne. Though her father trained her constantly for the day she would be truly on her own and must defend herself, Wynter quickly finds all matter of skills tested beyond the walls of the castle and things don't improve by much upon reuniting with P...more

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Jul 07, 2010 Stefan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was fortunate to read The Poison Throne and The Crowded Shadows almost back to back and I am glad I did. I don't think I could have stood the suspense of waiting. Unfortunately the final installment does not come out until October so I will be resigned to dreaming up my own endings and wondering what the characters are doing until then.

This book was a little different from most of the fantasy I read. There are no powerful magic systems or magic items, no demons from another plane. Instead the...more

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Jan 01, 2011 Allison (The Allure of Books) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: other-adult-fantasy, 2011, loved-it, own-it

The three books of the series are The Poison Throne, The Crowded Shadows and The Rebel Prince. I'm reviewing them together partly because it would be hard to write individual reviews without a ton of spoilers...but also because I was insanely addicted to the series and read all three books in a row, and in a ridiculously short amount of time. Oh - and fair warning - there will be gushing to follow.

Here, friends. Here is a series to get lost in. This world, these people...they don't let you keep...more

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Dec 05, 2012 Jenny Scupi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, magic

The writing in this book is brilliant in the way it made you feel for the characters. Which is not to say I liked it. I was lukewarm on the book overall, but I admire the author because she really manipulated my emotions so well.

I ended up genuinely caring about Chris and Razi. I worried for them and wanted them to be okay. I also had crushes on both of them, and when this happens you know the characters are drawn carefully because I'm picky on the characters I fall for! I admit I didn't care as...more

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Jun 18, 2011 Adam Bourke rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

This book was much better than I was expecting. In some ways. In other ways, I felt let down. In general, everything about it was unexpected.

Starting with some of the good things, after the first hundred or so pages, I couldn't put the book down. The action of following the wolves, followed by the fascinating cultures and rituals of the Merron people were just two of the areas where Kiernan excelled in her storytelling. The depth of it was so real, that I have to wonder if they are based off a r...more This book was much better than I was expecting. In some ways. In other ways, I felt let down. In general, everything about it was unexpected.

Starting with some of the good things, after the first hundred or so pages, I couldn't put the book down. The action of following the wolves, followed by the fascinating cultures and rituals of the Merron people were just two of the areas where Kiernan excelled in her storytelling. The depth of it was so real, that I have to wonder if they are based off a real people, although in some ways I hope not.

There are some less good points however; If you've read my review of "The Poison Throne", you'll have seen that one of the problems I had with the previous book was that it all happened in the same place. There was rarely any change in scenery. And it's similar here. It all takes place within a forest. Presumambly it's big, because there are several large camps which don't seem to see each other, but it's still the same forest. The lack of change gives the story a slower pace, and It FELT like the novel must have taken place over the course of a year (Although guessing from the speed of healing injuries and suchlike, I would guess it was actually far less than that).

A couple of minor things were that Wynter met up with Chistopher and Razi very quickly, despite leaving a while behind them. The Merron kept speaking their own language, and a lot of the time it went untranslated. There was a list of translations at the back, but it's labelled Glossary, which meant I didn't know about it (assuming it was explaining single word meanings rather than translating whole sentences).

Throughout the whole of the first two books we get drawn into the conspiracy of Razi's brother. The first one makes us wonder where he is, and why he left, but this second book makes us question what he's doing, and it's a question I look very much forward to seeing answered.

I enjoyed this book more than the first one, and while not a lot actually happened in it, I enjoyed the scenes with the Merron. There are a few things that could be improved on, but Kiernan writes her people well, from major characters to minority groups. I look forwards to seeing what happens in the third and final book.(less)

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May 07, 2011 Adrienne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, mom-recommends

I will briefly begin with excitement: this book has Irish in it! (Tá Gaeilge agat?) I understood a tiny little bit of it (Is mise fear saor!), but it's been years since I took that mini Irish Gaelic class. Anyway, there is a glossary in the back and I would have been lost without it. At least I could mostly pronounce a lot of the words, because Irish pronunciation is not, er, straightforward for English speakers.

Anyway, on to the book itself. Overall, I liked it better than the first.

While the...more

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Feb 01, 2012 Viridian5 rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

I spent a lot of time frustrated with The Crowded Shadows by Celine Kiernan. After a tense start it begins to bog down in the middle. At the end of the book you realize that the plot hasn't actually advanced very far. There are a few hundred pages where they're amongst people with customs and a language Razi and Wynter don't know while Christopher does but he chooses to keep them (and the readers) in the dark about all of that for almost the entire time. Then he yells at them when they understan...more

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Mar 24, 2013 Alice rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I had written a wonderful review in which i ranted about what bothered me and what I enjoyed, but Goodreads decided to eliminate my review

I cannot be bothered to get into in depth anymore so summary:
1. Christopher and Wynter are adorbable- and they need to get it on
2. Razi needs to refocus
3. Wynter needs to start being told thing- enough with all the mystic, if she is your sister or your heart's choice then godamn tell her things
4. Enough with all the innuendoes, i can't follow
5. Although inter...more

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May 03, 2011 Jess rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved the poison throne, so I was very excited to read the next book.
Unfortunately I was extremely disappointed.

Spoilers Ahead

The main problem I have with this book is Wynter, she's meant to be the main character and she reads more like a narrator. I was looking forward to her being on her own for this book, living independently. Yet she meets up with Razi and Christopher very early and then proceeded to just do whatever they wanted. Both of these men hold back important information througho...more

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Sep 18, 2009 Gemma rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, reviewed

I loved The Poison Throne so much; Celine Kiernan is such a vivid storyteller, and the world she constructs in The Poison Throne is so rich I wondered whether she'd be able to keep it up in the next installment of The Moorehawke Triloy.

So, I was totally thrilled to find The Crowded Shadows waiting for me at home yesterday, and immediately went upstairs to read it.

We begin with Wynter alone on horseback in the forest, seeking Alberon's rebel camp. Her journey is fraught with danger, and when she...more I loved The Poison Throne so much; Celine Kiernan is such a vivid storyteller, and the world she constructs in The Poison Throne is so rich I wondered whether she'd be able to keep it up in the next installment of The Moorehawke Triloy.

So, I was totally thrilled to find The Crowded Shadows waiting for me at home yesterday, and immediately went upstairs to read it.

We begin with Wynter alone on horseback in the forest, seeking Alberon's rebel camp. Her journey is fraught with danger, and when she has an encounter with Christopher and Razi she is overjoyed. They set out to find Alberon together, but when they begin to fear attack from the Loups-Garous, the wild tribe that enslaved Christopher, they take refuge with his people, the Merron. But they are messengers for Marguerite Shirken, daughter of the evil dictator who controls the Northlands that Wynter and her father spent years fighting against. Wynter finds herself wondering who is her friend, and who her enemy.

Although looking back on it, the story doesn't seem as fast moving as the first, the lack of political intruige outside of Jonathon's court and amount of travelling through the forest setting making it seem so at times, even at these moments I had to keep reading - Kiernan's writing always made it seem as though something was just around the corner, and she kept me on tenterhooks throughout the whole book.

I was really happy to see some character development in this book; Wynter and Christopher's relationship grows, and it was really sweet to see it. Even Razi gets a love interest, and I feel like I know them all a little bit better, especially Christopher - we learn a lot more about his time with the Loups-Garous, and a secret about him that seemed to be revealed and then just ignored for the remainder of the book.

The only thing that persisted in annoying me most of the book was how people, mainly Christopher and Razi, repeatedly didn't tell Wynter what was going on, and since the reader only really knows what she knows it has left me with a lot of unanswered questions for The Rebel Prince to answer. Is Alberon a friend or foe? What exactly is Christopher? Will Razi exact revenge? And what is the 'Bloody Machine'?

The history of Kiernan's world, a sort of alternate Europe with various kingdoms and tribes, is fascinating, and in The Crowded Shadows we learn a lot more about it than we would have in Jonathon's kingdom. The language in the book is complex and flowing, weaving the story together beautifully. The author deals with many issues, such as racial discrimination and persecution of people who are 'different', such as Christopher's tribe, and I found it in parts to be powerfully thought-provoking and poignant.

The book engrossed me completely, and at the end all I could think about was reading more, it was that spell-binding. Celine Kiernan is a fine writer, and I although I can't wait to read The Rebel Prince and have all my questions answered, I'm dreading the ending of this trilogy! I'm from Ireland like the author, and I really hope these books get the recognition they deserve when released in America and other countries - they really are wonderful. If you like epic stories with action, adventure, suspense and a little romance, you have to read this book - it'll stay with you long after you've finished. Five stars! :]
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Jan 27, 2011 WillowBe rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ye-olde-swords-sandals

My one frustration is the lack of a general pronunciation guide for Irish. Other books have supplied them for Welsh, why not Irish? It makes it really distracting with so much of their dialogue in Irish.My favorite charaactar is Christopher - so many opposites in one person depending on the situation- vulnerable yet protective, lethal yet often injured because he is smaller than his opponents, kind and tender but cold and unsympathetic, full of joy but in a much lesser measure than self-hatred a...more

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Oct 12, 2012 Iben rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-bookshelf

The Crowded Shadows continues the story of Wynter, Razi and Christopher as they search for Razi's brother Alberon, who they belive is the key to getting the kingdom back on track.

The entire book takes place on the road, but it manages not to become monotone due to the many different happenings and people we meet underway.

The only thing that annoyed me while reading this book was the fact that although our main characters by now know and trust each other, they for some reason will not listen to...more

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Oct 25, 2010 Stephanie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, from-library, new_read

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 02, 2011 drey rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010-reads, fantasy

Wynter Moorehawke has left to find Alberon and find out if the rumors she's hearing are true. Rumors that he's mounting a rebellion against his father's throne. Rumors that he's gathering the Kingdom's enemies to strike a blow.

The story meanders a bit in this second installment, but is worth it for the characters that are introduced. Bandits, rebel sympathizers, gypsies, and the King's own soldiers, all gather in the forests where the Rebel Prince is thought to be hiding. And loyalties are form...more

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Nov 01, 2011 Ellen Bransgrove rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Overall I really like this book. The only thing I dislike about this novel is that Christopher and Razi tend to be much too secretive towards Wynter than I would liked. I understand that the intended effect is to be suspenseful and mysterious, but at times I felt it was unnecessary and somewhat annoying.

But on the other hand, I most probably felt this way due to having bonded with Wynter and was perhaps irritated for her sake of being left in the dark. Job well done to Kiernan for making Wynter...more

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Nov 12, 2011 Seychella rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ausländische-fantasy

Der zweite Teil der Moorehawke-Trilogie schließt nahtlos an Band 1 an und entführt den Leser wieder in ein von Misstrauen und Kriegen gezeichnetes fiktives Europa, in dem es viele kleine Reiche gibt. Auch wenn die Lektüre von "Schattenpfade" bei mir schon fast ein Jahr her war, fesselte mich diese Geschichte bereits nach einigen Seiten so sehr, dass ich tief in diese Welt abgetaucht bin. Und viele meiner Gedanken und Gefühle zum letzten Band kamen auch wieder an die Oberfläche.

In diesem Teil rüc...more

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Sep 22, 2012 James rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

This fell flat on it's face, as if the author had expected to jump off a cliff and give us the thrills of skydiving and instead found herself falling an inch into a muddy puddle, falling over and landing in manure. This book never quite knew what it was doing, there felt to be no direction and come the end of it, I had no idea what it had added to the actual trilogy at all. Indeed, you could cut it down to a hundred pages, paste it into the third book at the beginning, and it would have had more...more

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Sep 09, 2012 Ellie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, politics-and-intrigue, read-in-2012, young-adult

Urgh, I’m so conflicted about this book. It’s not bad, let me get that out there from the start – it’s definitely not bad. What it is is very different from its predecessor, The Poison Throne, which was a book I really enjoyed. I loved the characters and subtleties of the plot in the first instalment of this trilogy, and found the shift in focus in The Crowded Shadows rather jarring. But while the setting and plot changed, the writing style stayed much the same, which caused some problems.

I do l...more Urgh, I’m so conflicted about this book. It’s not bad, let me get that out there from the start – it’s definitely not bad. What it is is very different from its predecessor, The Poison Throne, which was a book I really enjoyed. I loved the characters and subtleties of the plot in the first instalment of this trilogy, and found the shift in focus in The Crowded Shadows rather jarring. But while the setting and plot changed, the writing style stayed much the same, which caused some problems.

I do like the writing in these books, but sometimes it felt like this could have done with another edit. There were a few too many words in some of the sentences and some repetition that could easily have been cut. The analytical style of description worked very well in the court setting of the first book, but in the life-or-death situations in the Crowded Shadows it felt overwritten and slow. That wasn’t always the case, of course, and several scenes managed to be dramatic and emotional, but not quite reaching the heights of the first book.

There were some pacing issues in the plot, especially in the first half where I came close to putting the book down. It starts well, jumping straight into the action, but then slows and meanders around a bit. The main characters’ goal – to reach Alberon’s camp – doesn’t change at all, and it leaves the whole book feeling like an extended filler episode rather than doing much to progress the plot. It’s a very good filler episode, once it gets going, but still. Also, there is very little recap of the first book, which threw me off a bit in some places.

The main focus of the book is Merron culture, which I did find intriguing and well-handled. The Merron society was very well developed and not at all one-dimensional – I loved the contrast between the brutality of their religion and the Merron themselves, most of whom were very likeable. The confusion about their culture is also done well – the reader is as much in the dark as Wynter is and the slow reveal of the truth is paced perfectly. Once it became clear that this was the focus, I enjoyed the book a lot more.

Unfortunately, this means that the attention is shifted from the strong characters of the first book. They’re still there, they’re still layered and interesting, and the new characters are just as deep, but they feel somewhat out-of-focus this time. The first book’s strength was definitely the dynamic between the main characters, the bonds between them and the emotional torture they all went through. In this book, that was lacking.

The main problem was Wynter herself. Don’t get me wrong – I love Wynter – I think she’s a great heroine with a good balance of independence and vulnerability, but she wasn’t the heroine of this book. Wynter felt like an observer here, watching a story where Christopher and Razi and the Merron were much more important characters. The plot would have unfolded in virtually exactly the same way if she hadn’t been there, and I think that this is one of the reasons I felt less of an emotional connection to the story this time. This book could definitely have done with a change of POV, or some POV switching, rather than forcing Wynter into scenes where she didn’t belong just so she could watch from the sidelines.

I’m definitely going to finish this trilogy – I love the darkness of this low-fantasy world, how it explores concepts that lots of YA would be afraid of, and the characters are still very strong. I just hope that the next book is a bit sharper and the balance between world-building, character and plot is better handled.
(less)

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Mar 28, 2012 GSGS rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book took me for ages to read and quite frankly was a waste of my time.

I read and semi-enjoyed whatever the first one was called... *mental blank*

...

*stares at screen for three minutes*

*Googles*

THE POISON THRONE.

Right. Yep. It left a big impression on me. OK, so the book was alright, even though I didn't enjoy reading it I still seriously wanted to know what happened.

So, I picked up Crowded Shadows. Wynter is leaving to find Prince Alberon.

I have now finished it and what is happenin...more

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Dec 17, 2010 Kat Hooper rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook

ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.

I was hoping that the pace of The Moorehawke Trilogy would pick up once Razi, Christopher, and Wynter left the castle but, alas, this story continues to crawl at a glacial pace. In The Crowded Shadows, the three friends wander the forest with no plan but to find Prince Alberon (somewhere among thousands of acres) so they can hear his side of the story — why is he rebelling against his father? While they traipse about the forest, they spend a lot of time ea...more ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.

I was hoping that the pace of The Moorehawke Trilogy would pick up once Razi, Christopher, and Wynter left the castle but, alas, this story continues to crawl at a glacial pace. In The Crowded Shadows, the three friends wander the forest with no plan but to find Prince Alberon (somewhere among thousands of acres) so they can hear his side of the story — why is he rebelling against his father? While they traipse about the forest, they spend a lot of time eating, fishing, sleeping, occasionally bathing, and becoming emotionally unstable.

Soon they realize that there are other people sneaking around in the forest who shouldn’t be there (thus the name The Crowded Shadows) and Razi, Christopher, and Wynter spend their days wondering what these people are doing and fighting, hiding from, spying on, running away from, and even helping those they meet. Is Alberon gathering the kingdom’s enemies so he can lead them to overthrow the King? (If so, I wonder why these sneaky people are shouting their passwords and announcing their plans loud enough for Wynter to hear?)

I mentioned the sluggish plot in my review of The Poison Throne, but that book got away with it because the characters were so endearing. Unfortunately, that’s not the case in The Crowded Shadows. I’ve lost all respect for Wynter, who was a strong independent young woman in the first book but is now an emotional basketcase. She has a screaming fit when someone asks if she’d like some tea to ease her menstrual cramps — because women are supposed to be discreet and private — yet she spends most of this book hanging all over Christopher, lying next to him at night with her arm around him, pawing at him, putting her hand on his thigh, combing his hair, asking him if he’s okay, and calling him “Love.” (Puke.) She blatantly tells him that she wants to sleep with him, he says he feels the same, then, although they sleep next to each other every night… nothing happens. He’s got his back to her and she’s got her arm around him, stroking his stomach. This is the same Christopher who was raging hormones and jumping all the serving girls back in The Poison Throne; suddenly, he’s a prude. I never met a guy like that and if I were Wynter, I’d seriously be checking myself for bad breath or body odor. Neither of these characters’ actions (Wynter throwing herself at him and Christopher saying it’s “forever” but never mustering up any motivation) rings true. We’re supposed to understand that they’re just too tired or in pain, or (later) that Chris has a deep dark secret that inhibits him, but this strange behavior is clearly meant to increase and drag out the sexual tension, and it’s not working for me because it’s completely unbelievable. If I were Wynter, I’d be mortally offended, embarrassed, and moving on.

Christopher, meanwhile, who was direct and open during The Poison Throne, has suddenly become mysterious and brooding to the point that the reader becomes confused — along with Wynter and Razi — about what’s going on. It would make much more sense for Christopher to actually tell his friends why they need to be careful or why they must immediately leave the people they’ve just met (or whatever) instead of begging them to just believe him. I think this is supposed to be mysterious and suspenseful, but really it’s just confusing and aggravating.

Most insufferably, the plot did not advance in The Crowded Shadows. It ended where it began with nothing happening except that we learned more about Christopher and the culture he came from. The important plot could have been condensed to one chapter and we could have skipped this middle book. I can understand why many readers like this series — it’s emotional and character-driven — but I’m impatient with the slow pace and all the drama. All the characters are inflamed and angsty, but I’m just bored.

If Kate Rudd, the audiobook reader, was likewise bored, she didn’t let on. Her performance was excellent.(less)

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About Celine Kiernan

Born in Dublin, Ireland, 1967, Celine Kiernan has spent the majority of her working life in the film business. Trained at the Sullivan Bluth Studios, her career as a classical feature character animator spanned over seventeen years. She spent most of her time working between Germany, Ireland and the USA. Her books have been included in the White Raven's Collection, and short listed for the 2009 Ir...more

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The Poison Throne (Moorehawke Trilogy, #1)

The Rebel Prince (Moorehawke Trilogy, #3)

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